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Monday, July 04, 2011

Fair Play: Be aware of Roy Moore

BEWARE of Roy Moore. On the off chance that you’d see today, someone claiming to be Roy, you know that dude who’s often seen in the company of Jacques Palami, I want you to collar that impostor, call the police and while waiting for the boys in blue, sneak in a couple of uppercuts or kicks to the shin.

That’s not Roy Moore, at least the one the Pinoy football fans follow.

Roy, who along with Craig Burrows, saved the day for Philippine football fans during the AFC Challenge Cup in Mongolia—the matches weren’t aired live—is stuck in Sri Lanka after his passport got stolen.

“Well, this is an awkward situation,” Roy wrote in his blog. “Sometime in the last couple of days someone took my passport.”

According to Roy, since the Philippines will accept emergency travel documents, he doesn’t have to wait the six-week period for a new passport in Sri Lanka or worse, go home to England.

He said he expects to arrive in the Philippines today or tomorrow and will be checking in with the British Embassy to get a replacement and catch up on the things he missed at UP Diliman, where he had an arduous three-day enrollment.

Of course, Roy missed the home leg of the Sri Lanka vs. Philippines series.So, until Roy gets a new passport, be wary.

After that, let’s be aware of Roy Moore.

Because I think it’s about time Pinoys—and not just the football fans—learn who Roy Moore is.

Roy actually has a fulltime job, and it doesn’t involve following the Azkals in awaymatches and losing his passport in exotic places.

Roy and Naomi Tomlinson are part of the Fair Play for All Foundation, a charity organization that is using football to help break the cycle of poverty in the poorest areas in Manila.

(Naomi has a curious story. She’s British but it took a trip to the Philippines for her to learn to love football and now she’s more excited about the Azkal matches than England’s. It’s like a Pinoy learning to love arnis from a trip to the UK.)

A week after the Feb. 9 home game against Mongolia, Roy and Craig established the Payatas and Kasiglahan FC, a team of underprivileged kids and they’ve joined a couple of tournaments already.

And based on the early results, the kids have taken to football like ducks to water.

Here’s what Roy wrote about Fair Play for All: “What struck me was the manner in which the people living there were clearly able and talented, many of the kids are top of their class …The problem, however, was the lack of opportunity for many of the people – born into poverty they can’t afford the tools to get out of poverty, education, basic nutrition, a good home, etc… where a child is born, shouldn’t determine whether they live or die. Instead we look to encourage, enable and empower the children who live on the streets…For us, every life has value.”

In a nutshell, the group helps finds sponsors for poor kids who live on the streets. For abused or orphaned kids who are forced to live on the streets, they set them up with Mango Tree House, a children’s home which Craig runs.

Craig, Roy and Naomi—three British folks who are trying to change the lives of poor Pinoys, quietly and without much fanfare.

Because it’s who they are.

It’s time to be aware of their actions, shouldn’t we? Unless of course, it’s the dude with the stolen passport.

If you want learn more or help the Fair Play For All Foundation, check Roy’s blog at www.roymondous.wordpress.com.